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McCain Responds to "Arab" Epithet at Rally: "Obama a Decent Family Man"
John McCain supporter Gayle Quinnell told the crowd at a McCain Rally in Minnesota that "Obama is an Arab." McCain took away the microphone but failed to address Quinnell's unabashed bigotry or the incidents of anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and anti-African American bigotry that has become an increasingly regular feature of GOP rallies as the election draws near. "No ma'am," he says. "[Obama's] a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues."
Above, an interview with Quinnell done via streaming cell phone. Interviewers include Noah Kunin, Senior Political Correspondent from The UpTake, Adam Aigner of NBC News and Dana Bash of CNN.
Quinnell said she obtained the information on Obama being an Arab at "her local library" and from a pamphlet obtained at a local McCain campaign office (provided by a fellow volunteer not the campaign itself). She has taken it upon herself to redistribute the information as widely as possible by making copies of the pamphlet and sending it to random names in the phone book.
Transcript:
Gayle Quinnell: I went to the library in Shakopee and I got lots of ... three pages of information about ObamaAdam Aigner of NBC News: And what kind of information did you get?
Quinnell: I got to tell you, you call me. It's a long story. I'm afraid of what's going to happen to this country.
Aigner: What would you think would happen? Do you think it would become Muslim country and what would that mean?
Quinnell: It would be bad
Aigner: So even though Senator McCain told you that he didn't feel that was true and you ought to be more respectful, you still fear that?
Quinnell: I still do. Yeah. I'm not alone. I go to Burnsville, the main Republican headquarters and I do a lot of work over there. A lot of sending out mail and talking to people. And all the people agree with what I'm saying to you about Obama.
Aigner :Then do you feel there are a lot of volunteers for McCain who feel that way?
Quinnell: Yes. A lot of them. In fact I got a letter from another woman that goes over there to Burnsville and she sent me more things about Obama.
Aigner: What was on the letter?
Quinnell: Oh all kinds of bad things about him and how, I mean I have to tell you to call me. It's all bad.
Reporter: Are a lot of people getting this letter and are a lot of people believeing it and is that turning a lot of votes or support for McCain?
Quinnell: Yeah I sent out 400 letters. I went to Kinkos and I got them all printed out. And I sent about 400 letters. I went in the telephone book and sent them out to people. So they can decide if they would want Obama.
Aigner: Can you give me your name again?
Quinnell: Gayle Quinnell and I honestly think that these people hear about this Obama, they wouldn't want him.
Aigner: Because they would know what you know in the letter?
Quinnell: Yeah, he read that letter. In fact when I was standing in line , there were about eight girls, young girls standing in line. And they said "what have you got." I had one of the letters and they said "Give it to me. I want to read it. I want to read it" And they read it. And they just went (shakes head) . They hadn't read it before and they didn't (unintelligible) all that information. To me it's bad news.
Aigner: So maybe if I call you you'll give me one of the letters maybe?
Quinnell: I sure can!
Aigner: You don't have another one on you now?
Quinnell: No I don't. But I can give you what I got and I can give you what she sent me in the mail.
Aigner: I'd be interested to read it.
Quinnell: OK
Aigner: And can you spell your name for me?
Quinnell: Q-U-I-N-N-E-L-L
Aigner: E-L-L? And Gayle is just...
Quinnell: G-A-Y-L-E
Aigner: And where you from?
Quinnell: I'm from Shakopee.
Aigner: Shakopee?
Quinnell: Shakopee, Minnesota
Aigner: And and I'm sorry how old are you ma'am?
Quinnell I'm 75
Aigner: 75?
Quinnell: (Nods yes) And I got a lot of grandkids and a lot of kids, I've got five kids. I got seven grandkids and they all think the same way.
(PHONE NUMBER EDITED OUT OF CONVERSATION)
Noah Kunin (The UpTake): Do you volunteer at the Republican Party Headquarters or the McCain Campaign office over in Burnsville?
Quinnell: McCain. McCain Headquarters in Burnsville.
Noah: The McCain headquarters.
Quinnell: It's out over by , over by that post station there.
Noah: Yeah, I know which one you're talking about. And just to be sure to make sure we got your quote OK, you called Obama and Arab terrorist?
Quinnell: Pardon?
Noah: You called him an Arab terrorist? Is that correct? Why do you think he is an Arab?
Quinnell Because his dad is. If you... I'll send you the paper.
Female reporter: His dad is Muslim His dad was Muslim. Barack Obama has never been a Muslim.
Quinnell: No but he's....
Dana Bash of CNN: He's a Christian.
Quinnell: He's not an Arab either, he's a --
Bash: His father was Muslim, and he's a Christian.
Quinnell: Yeah, but he's still got Muslim in him. So that's still part of him. I got all the stuff from the library and I could send you all kinds of stuff on him. In fact....
Bash: What did you think about McCain said. He said he's a decent person.
Quinnell: Well he did have didn't have (unintelligible)... I think McCain wanted to (unintelligible) I don't think he wanted to say anything against him. You know he didn't want to cut him down. That was my way of thinking. I don't think he wanted to cut him down. So he just kind of brushed me off.
Reporter: Plus he criticizes Barack Obama plenty himself, so why wouldn't he do it now?
Quinnell: Well I probably brought up something that he didn't want to talk about.
Reporter: Do you think John McCain thinks that he's Arab? Do you think he knows this stuff that you're saying you know is fact?
Quinnell: I don't know. I don't know. Maybe he doesn't want to bring it up then. I don't know why. Is there some way I can get to you more information.
Bash: Can you wait for me for like five more minutes?
Quinnell: Yeah.
Bash: I want to an interview on camera. Our camera team is occupied right now. What's your name?
Quinnell: Gayle Quinnell (Spells name again)
Bash: In case I lose you, you don't have a cell phone do you?
Quinnell: No I wish I had it on me but I don't.
Bash: See the pretty lady over there with red hair? That's our camera. As soon as she's done , we'll be over there Ok
Reporter: What was your reaction when Senator McCain backed away
Quinnell: What was my reaction? Well when he didn't want to talk about it...
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Don't forget, people didn't want to vote for Kennedy because he was catholic! The amount of stupidity in this country amazes me. Please get out of my gene pool.
Quinnell has the same low level of intelligence, and inability to think for herself as do those who are persuaded to become terrorists.
___
My question is, why isn't McCain condemning the insinuation that being an Arab automatically makes someone a terrorist?
This campaign makes me sick. John McCain, a man I once respected, is a sad shell of the man he used to be.
Powerful Misinformation ("The Backfire Effect")
New research indicates that refuting misinformation can serve to strengthen some people's belief in the refuted misinformation. It's called "the backfire effect" and it seems to effect conservatives more than others.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YOtOSq0DY6Y
See Naazish YarKhan's Profile
AS RECOMMENDED BY AMBER HACKER, WWW.IFYC.ORG
Great opinion piece on cnn.com. An excerpt:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/13/campbell.brown.obama/index.html
NEW YORK (CNN) -- You may find it hard to believe that this remains an issue in this campaign, but it does.
So what if Obama was Arab or Muslim? So what if John McCain was Arab or Muslim? Would it matter?
When did that become a disqualifier for higher office in our country? When did Arab and Muslim become dirty words? The equivalent of dishonorable or radical?
Whenever this gets raised, the implication is that there is something wrong with being an Arab-American or a Muslim. And the media is complicit here, too.
We've all been too quick to accept the idea that calling someone Muslim is a slur.
I feel like I am stating the obvious here, but apparently it needs to be said: There is a difference between radical Muslims who support jihad against America and Muslims who want to practice their religion freely and have normal lives like anyone else.
There are more than 1.2 million Arab-Americans and about 7 million Muslim-Americans, former Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, successful business people, normal average Americans from all walks of life.......
Of course, he's not an Arab. Of course, he's not a Muslim. But honestly, it shouldn't matter.
See Naazish YarKhan's Profile
AS BRAD SELIGMANN PUT IT
http://bridge-builders.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2315767%3ABlogPost%3A3545
In recent days I am exceedingly frustrated with America. Not because of the economy, but rather because of the prejudice that exists among my fellow citizens. Frankly I'm embarrassed by the outbursts.
The above clip shows one example at a recent rally, although I must say it is one of the more tame incidents. In another, a voter states that he is afraid about an Obama administration. When McCain says there's nothing he should be afraid of, the crowd actually boos him and cries out.
I know right now the Obama (and now McCain) campaigns are busy fighting a battle against the inaccuracy that Obama is either Muslim or Arab... but when can we start to ask "So what?" instead of defending against something that isn't a bad thing.
"Oh, Rep. Ellison and Rep. Carson are Muslims!"
"So what? You got a problem with that?"
See Naazish YarKhan's Profile
What a whole lot of people seem to miss is the point that being Muslim or ARAB is not a sin. So what is he's Barack Hussein Obama, or not. Since when is being a person of a certain faith something wrong? Not every Muslim is a terrorist and neither is every non-Muslim a peace-maker. It's just that in recent times, the most commonly known terrorists are Muslims. In another era, it was the IRA in Ireland and so on. In the USA George Metesky, planted 33 bombs throughout New York City over a 16-year period in the 1940s and 1950s. In later years, the "Unabomber" Ted Kaczinski and Timothy McVeigh monopolized the news headlines, murdering hundreds with their vicious bombing schemes.
"Tacitly supported by many Armenians and others throughout the world as legitimate revenge for what most observers viewed as genocide [1] in World War I, Armenian terrorism in the 20th century was an excellent example of how one person's terrorist can be viewed by some as another's freedom fighter."
http://www.armenianreality.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=15
Let's not forget that terrorists come in all shapes and forms. While we Americans consider ourselves Liberators of Iraq, we are considered by plenty of Americans and the rest of the world as occupiers.
When it comes to God there is no room for hate and violence towards His creatures. We are misinterpreting His word if we believe otherwise.
It occurs to me that this woman was playing a part. I think she'd been given a script, and she was a plant. Think about it, you did not see her face, it "humanized" McCain, and she FLUBBED HER ONLY LINE! She was supposed to say Muslim, not Arab. Nobody has accused him of being an ARAB! And this whole phone interview sounds very suspicious. That may not have even been her on the other end.
Hey, after Karl Rove, I don't buy anything they're selling!
Further proof that ignorance is NOT bliss. It's sad.
:Like most people, I daresay that when I first saw this piece of footage, I was scandalised and outraged *at her*. What an ignorant and malign buffoon I thought.
It now seems clear that she is probably just some older person whose ignorance and advancing senility have been ruthlessly exploited by cynical people who know how to manage 'useful idiots'. On an ethical level, it's probably below scaring children with the boogeyman. I can feel sorrow at the position into which this senior citizen, has been manipulated.
It's the Rove-style spinmeisters with whom we should be most disgusted. These people have no scruple, no shred of ethical fibre. Behind each of their wan smiles lies an ethical vacuum.
I hope that the public visits utter ruin on this campaign and that in the wake of the election, all of the dirt is put into plain sight and those responsible are (metaphorically) pilloried and compelled to apologise not only to the public at large, but specifically to the unfortunates whose facile minds they have so wantonly abused.
.
Here Ye ! Here Ye! Come one come all ! Come to the Great McCain hate debate of two thousand and eight.
This planet will be free from this woman and her ridiculous notions soon enough ...
BEST OBAMA VIDEO EVER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN_UsOHpKjM
Classic dogmatic prejudice.
Someone needs to tell her that racism is on its way out. It's not over but it's on its way out.
This woman gives grandmothers a bad name. She got "lots" of information...three pages. LOL
I don't get why these people have bad things to say about arabs or muslims...I mean they apparently love their oil.
as somebody who is in school for a masters in library science, i'm curious about the librarian who is giving out this information. it's pretty much against everything a librarian believes in to be giving out one-sided info on a topic.
No librarian gave her anything. She probably pick it up at the library, because it was just some leaflet scattered around.
i contacted the librarian and she said that Ms. Quinnel asked about a particular page on the internet, so the library gives no authority to the information given. I suggested some fact-checking sites that the librarian might want to point out to patrons if they are to inquire about such topics.
Wide open for a 'Belle' statement of "She is not the brightest bulb shinning, BUT her bald spot is'....BLESS HER HEART!
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